A San Francisco middle school in the Portola District, identified as serving one of the most food-insecure populations of students in the SF Unified School District (SFUSD), now has a free grocery market in the school, with the help of Amazon.
The free groceries are available to students and their families during specific time windows before and after school hours at MLK Jr. Middle School in the Portola neighborhood. As ABC 7 reports, this is the first free "supermarket" of its kind in a California school, but it may not be the last, given that food insecurity has been identified as a key barrier to some students' learning.
As you can see in video footage from KPIX, below, the small in-school market includes dry goods, canned goods, as well as fresh produce and dairy products.
The free store was created in collaboration with Amazon, the SFUSD, the YMCA, and the nonprofit Goodr foundation, which in recent years has established free food pantries like this one, and pop-up markets at 12 other locations across the country.
After opening this week, the free store will be open twice a month, though it's unclear if that may change.
Speaking to families at MLK Jr. Middle School, Goodr CEO and Founder Jasmine Crowe-Houston said, per ABC 7, "Over the next year, I hope that you have one less worry because you are going to know where you can go and get access to food and it is free, and it's here to serve your family."
MLK Jr. Middle School was identified as a school with particular needs when it comes to food. More than 70% of families at the school qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch, and the district believes around 300 families will benefit from the market.
One parent at the school, Jessica Matos, tells ABC 7, "I'm currently not working and truly this is a huge help for my family."
"Food insecurity is something no one should have to face in San Francisco, and we have a vision for a community without hunger," says Sally Kay, Regional Head of Public Policy and External Affairs at Amazon, speaking to KPIX.
Photo via SFUSD/Instagram
